December 15, 2008

When the 111th Congress convenes in January, more women than ever before will serve in each chamber – 17 in the Senate (a gain of one) and 74 in the House (a gain of three). Partly, this is because more women were "positioned for success" by their parties rather than being offered as "sacrificial lambs," according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Eleven of the women representatives will be newcomers, among them Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio's 15th Congressional District, whose victory wasn't certified until officials finished tallying provisional ballots Dec. 7. She succeeds Rep. Deborah Pryce (R), who is retiring. The women who will join the House for the first time, and the party and state of each: